Cushion connection for vehicle construction



May 4 1926.

A; F. MASURY ET A).

CUSHION CONNECTION FOR VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION I5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July15 1924 I Il I xNvENToRS May 4 192e A. F. MASURY ET A1. CUSHIONCONECTION FOR VEHICLE CONS'TRUCTION I Filed myl 1 5 1924 sheets-sheet 2van: E I MN "Il i,"

May 4., 1926-.

' A. F. MASURY ET'AL c'r'oN 'FOR VEHICLE coNsTRUQTIoN s sneeis-sneet 5`CUSHION GONNE Filed 'July 15, 1924 ABY MMM i Patented May 4, 1926 UNITEDsrarns isernirarsnr ermee.

ALFRED IF. MAS'URY AND AUGUST H. LEIPERR 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOS T0INTERNATIONAL MOTOR COMPANY, F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0FDELAWARE.

CUSEIN CNNEClN FDR VEHICLE CONSTRUCTIGQ'.

Application filed July 15, 1924. Serial No. 726,081. t

To all 'whom z'r' may concern:

Be it known that we, Ammo F. MAsUnr and AUGUST H. Lnrrnn'r, citizens ofthe United States, respect-iyely, residing in the borough of Manhattanand in the borough of Queens, in the cit' State of New Yorr,respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCushion Connections struction, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had `to the accompanying drawings,forming a part hereof. This invention relates to non-metallic cushionconnections for vehicles springs and is concerned primarily with aconstruction used in connection with springs which are disposed at asubstantial angle to the line of-movement of the vehicle as exemplifiedfor instance, in the suspension on Ford cars 2.0 in which the front andrear springs extend transversely. In such constructions where the endsof the springs are rigidly connected to the axle or equiyalent part andthe center of the spring is attached to the Abody frame or theequivalent, the spring itself is subjected to extreme tortion duringstarting and stoppin@ of theJ car. This tortion imposes a well definedlimit ou the practical length of the'spring. pairs the riding qualities.while keeping it long subjects t e parts to excessive noise, wear andbreakage.- By the present invention it issought to provide 'a'non-metallic yielding connection at the ends of the 85 springs of the.type described (or at their which will not only eliminatemid section)noise, wear-,and lubrication but.' will function in such manner as torelieve the spring of the extreme'tortional stresses'tir which it 40would otherwise be subjected'. The, im-

proyed connection itself,hasfpropcrties tend44 ing'to improve lieridingqnali-ties but, perhaps, its mechanical attributes are mostimportant vin cushioning the tortional stresses 45 to a tdegree whichpermits the spring to be made of maximum length and correspondingresilency. For convenience, in this application such connectionshavebeen shown in one' simple form as applied to Ford cars but it will beapparent to one skilled in the art as the description proceeds that theprinciple may be employed to advantage in other types of New York, inthe` for Vehicle Con- Shortening the spring .1m-A

O suspension and details considerably changed to meet; requirements ofparticular situations. In the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary view in front elevation showing` one end ofthe J:front spring of a Ford car connected to the axle by the improveddevices.

Figure 2 1s a view 1n transverse section through the housing showninFigure 1 and taken on the plane indicated by the line' 2 2 of Figure 1and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 8 is a view in transverse section through the niodiliedconstruction shown in Figure 4L and taken on the plane indicated by theline the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional View through the housing 'shown inFigure 3 taken on the plane indicated by the line 4-4 ot Figure 3. andlooking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in plan showing the'application'of theimproved connection to the rear spring of a Ford car.

Figure 6 is a view in cross section taken on the plane indicated by theline 6-6 of Figure 5 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

in accordance with accepted practice both the front and rear springs ofa Ford car extend transversely of the body being con# nected rigidly attheir mid points to the body and at their ends to the respective axles,as by shackles. The noise, wearand vbreakage on both the springs andshackles are well recognized. When the car starts and stops tortionalstresses are imposed on the springs and connections. 1t is not uncommon,for instance, for

These stresses are such that the springs ordinarily are not made as longas they otherwise woul be for greatest riding comfort. ciple underlyingthe present invention is the connection ot' such springs by non-metallicyielding material adapted to function to absorb some of these stressesand yet constitute a perfectly adequate mechanical connection requiringno lubrication, subject to little wear, free from noise, and possessingincidentally, some'degree of inherent rethe front axle itself to tendlto turn under.

The prin- 3-3 of Figure 4 and. looking in d or siliency to improve theriding qualities.

With such connections the vehicle springs may be made longer than bolthole provided in Ford axles. The plate I) is preferably of such asurface of the axle a `which,

vsis

y, the connections the housing' configuration as to rest on the inclinedsurface a2 of the axle adjacent to the fork a and presentan uppersurface which extends in substantially .a horizontal plane. Asillustrated in Figure 2 the plate b which may be forged has reverselytapered surfaces b2 adapted' to rest on the upper reversely tapered'surface of the axle a. One side of the plate may be extended downwardlyand inwardly to form a lug b3 ladapted to engage the underin standardpractice is an I-bean'i. This relation serves to center the plate b onthe axle and hold it against. lateral displacement or movement about thebolt c, .in one direction. The upper surface is preferably tormed With aseat b for a block Z of non-metallic yielding material such as rubber.The end of the spring c carries suitable seats f, g, shown,respectively, on the under and upper surfaces thereof, the .seat beingopposed to the seat b and the seat g receiving `another block d `ofnon-metallic yielding material such as rubber. A housing h of pressedmetal or other suitable form receives the end of the spring e and theblocks d, d', this housing at its upper end being` formed with a seat hopposed to the seat gy to retain the The front' block al againstdisplacemen and rear sides of the housing iy are formed' with alignedopenings to receive bolts t', Zi, which ypass through these Walls andthrough bolt holes in the forging b. One of these bolts c secures inplace a retaining clip Z which extends into engagement with the axle at.the opposite side' of the axle to secure the plate an the associatedconnections positively on the In assembling 7i is forced down blocks rl,CZ so that axle against displacement.

to compress yielding When the retainiing bolts i, 7c, are finally..ypassed through the sides of the housing' ythese blocks are retainedunder' substantial v will be evident that tortion compression.Elongation of the spring e is permitted by the yield of the non-metallicmaterial which may flowl Within the confines of the housing it. No metalto metal contact is involved. .Referring now to Figure 2 it of thespring e will be resisted yieldingly by the blocks al. d and some of thtortional stress absorbed -by the material so that itself is protectedagainst injury. ency of the springeto Abe moved forwardly or rearwardly.with respect to the axle a in starting or stopping is also resistedyieldingly by the blocks el, d.

rl`he modification shown in Figures 3 and l does not dilfer materiallyfrom'that heretofore described except that the plate B is not formedwith ate Witli'the axle A butthe housing H Wit-li the plate and allother elements of the sembly are clamped tor the axle andplield Iagainstdisplacement by clip sides of the axle secured 1n place by thethrough-bolts K. Similar clips may be secured by the other through boltI. Figure A- shovvs the relation of the end of the plate 'l to the forkA to afford sufiicient clearance for assembly on any standard axlesregardless of variations in the dimensions and finish. Figure/i alsoshows a web of nonmetallic yielding material l which moulded with thelower and upper blocks D,

respectively, this Web being so disposed with relation to the end of thespring E as to cushion itsl movements yieldingly upon elongationthereof.

Figures 5 and 6 show the application of the improvements to a transversespring Whose ends are to be connected to some other member than the axleitself, as is the. condif tion with the rear spring of a Ford automobile. In this assembly atwoart housing n, a may the end of t etransverse the spring receive spring o anll the non-metallic yielding'maf terial p wit which the spring is engaged.. The sectionsA of-A thehousing may be united by suitable bolts n2 passing through engagingflanges as. The seats 0 for the sections ofl material may be carried onthe upper and lowcr'sidcs ot' the spring andc'omplementary seatstherefor formed,respectively, at n4, a, "within the housing sections n,a'. The housing thus formed may be mounted on the running gear in anyapproved way but to adapt it to standard construction thereis-illustrated a threaded stud q carried by some fixed part such as thebrake liange r, the ,stud

being united to the housingas by means o suitable pins g passing throughthe head of the stud and through lugs n `formed on the outer'wall of thehousing. In this construction it is preferred to within the housing.rl`he characteristics described With reference to the front springconnection. are to be found in the emhodin nient shown in Figures 5 andG.

As pointed out heieinbefore, the 'improved connection is applicable tosituations Where the spring or similar part extends angularly to thedirection of travel of the vehicle and may, in its mechanical details;be varied without departing troia the principle.

The tcndan integral lug to co-Aopei-,

s L at opposite assemble the non-ine n tallic yielding material p undercompression 1 gna l non-metallic yielding material into which the end ofthe sprinv extends, seats forth'e assasoi Y What we claim is:

1. In a motor vehicle, in* combination with the axle, a spring extendinggenerall transverse to the direction of travel of t e vehicle, aconnection and support between the end of the spring and theaxlevcromprisin non-metallic yielding material engaged wit the endof thespringg'a housing to'con'ine lsaidnon-metallic yielding material, and

means to engage the axle and the housing to maintain the materialagainst displacementto resist yieldingly axial twist of the spring.

2. n a motor vehicle, in combination with the axle, a spring extendinggenerally transverse to the direction oftravelof the vehicle, aconnection andsupport between theV end of the sprin and the axlecomprisin non-metallic yiel ing material engaged wit the end of the sring, a housing to confine said non-metallic yielding material, andmeans to engage the axle and the housing to maintain the material' undercompression against displacement to resist yield-- ingly axial twist ofthe spring. A

3. In a motor vehicle, lin combination with the axle, a spring extendinggenerally transverse to the direction of travel ofthe vehicle, faconnection and support between the end of thespring and the axlecomprising nection andsupport between the end of theA yspring and theaxle including non-meta`llic yielding` material engaged with the end ofthe spring, a plate secured to the laxle and formed with a seat for saidVnon-metallic yieldin materia to the seat against displacement withrespect to theaxle.

material, and means toclamp the 5. Ina motor vehicle, in combinationwith Y I an axle and suspension springextending l substantiallyparallel` thereto, a connection between the end of the s ring and axleincluding non-'.rrletallicl yie ding material engaged with the end ofthe sprin a housing to support the non-metallic yie ding mate'- rial,and clips co-operating with the housing and the axle to secure thehousing against movement lwith respectthereto.

6. In amotor vehicle, vin combination. with the axle and a suspensionspring extending substantially parallel thereto, a' connection betweenthe ends Vof the spring and the axle,

including non-metallic yielding materialeni gaged with the end of thespring .a plate JQ on which said material seats 4supported on the'axle,a' housing to conne the material, andthrough bolts passing through thelionsing'and "the plate t-,Q secure the two'together and confine thematerial uiidemcompression.

Z., 1In aiiiptor, vehicle, inycombination with tha-'xleh'hd a suspensionspring extending substantially paral l thereto, a connection between theends of the spring and the-axle,

including non-metallie yielding material engaged with the end oftheispring, a plate f on which said material seats supported on theaxle, a housingtoconfine the material, through boltspassing through thelious-` 'ing and the .plate to secure the two together and confine thematerial under compression i and clips carried with the bolts ltofengagethe axle, and secure the plate against move- 95| i mentthereon.-

This specification signed this 10th day df July, A. D'. 1924. I

. AUGUST H. LEIPERT.

ALFRED F. MASURY. f

